The Vestaboard smart display costs twice as much as my TV, but it works hard to justify the price

Date:
Thu, 26 Jun 2025 13:34:49 +0000

Description:
A mechanical smart display that adds a dash of class and personality to your home.

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Id bet youve seen a Vestaboard out and about some coffee shops use them to let you know an order is ready, hotels have them around showing the weather
or custom text, restaurants have them up, and you can even have one in your home or apartment.

Its been around for a bit, and theres even a smaller, much more affordable version up for now more on that later but the Vestaboard is an expensive smart display that lacks an LED screen, and that makes it especially refreshing.

The Vestaboard itself doesnt scream 'smart', and thats sort of the point; its a classic ticker board that seems like it was taken straight out of an old airport terminal or train station. But these 132-character modules, they can flip, fold, and flap to instantly display the right character, icon, or
color. Since its connected to the internet, you can send almost anything to
it assuming it fits. TechRadar Smart Home Week This article is part of TechRadar's Smart Home Week 2025 . From lighting and switches to robot
vacuums and smart thermostats, we're here to help you pick the right devices to make your life easier, and get the most out of them.

Ive been testing a Vestaboard review unit for a while and have used it to display various things, including the weather, whats currently playing on Spotify, a random Springsteen lyric, election results, the latest sports scores, and even inspirational quotes. With any of these, when it gets the input from the companion app for iOS or Android, as well as a status update from one of the connected services, it will spring to life and update the board.

This could be switching from the weather forecast, which flashes every morning, to a quote of the day, or, if I have it synced with music playback, updating every time a new song begins. Yes, the turning of the flaps to display a new message can be quite jarring at first, but Ive grown accustomed to it. I really like the simplicity of this smart display.

The price of that simplicity and minimalism doesnt come cheap, though. The Vestaboard is $3,499 (about 2,500 / AU$5,300) in either Flagship Black or Vestaboard White, and to get access to these third-party extensions and service connections, youll need Vestaboard Plus at $99.99 (about 70 / AU$150) a year. Clearly not super accessible or affordable, though there is a
cheaper, smaller, equally click-clacky Vestaboard Note up for order now at
the discounted price of $899 (about 660 / AU$1,370), which will eventually jump to $1,299 (about 950 / AU$2,000).

Price aside, lets dive into the Vestaboard, starting with the fact that it needs to be wall-mounted. Fortunately, a plate is included in the box. I was able to install the unit itself with the help of a family member, first mounting the wall bracket, then the central unit, plugging it into power, and then attaching the cover over the front. (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The Vestaboard comes with a super-short power cable, which isnt ideal, especially for renters. Why? Well, youre likely not someone whos installing a dedicated outlet for this, and youll need to pay $24 for a longer, eight-foot power cable that the brand sells, or opt for an extension of some sort. Considering the unit itself is so expensive, I really wish you got both in
the box, or just the longer one.

To be clear, though, it cant just stand up on its own, so youll need to wall-mount it. As much as it is a smart display and messaging board, it is also designed to be an art piece that can be updated. You can even design
your own creations with icons and colored flaps to appear on the board or, with Vestaboard+, have it cycle through several categories, either user-generated or made in-house at the company.

Once mounted and plugged in, I followed the steps in the app to discover the Vestaboard, connected it to the Wi-Fi, and walked through the tutorial. I
also made the call to pay the $95 for a year of Vestaboard Plus, as it really makes the experience. I do believe it should be included, as it gives you access to a whole range of pre-made things to toss up and extensions. (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The latter are the most exciting I can sync my Vestaboard with my Sonos account to display the song title and artist when its playing, or even
connect with a specific service like Spotify. Theres also a host of content, including daily jokes, little games like word scrambles, and quotes from anything from Bruce Springsteen songs to Disney movies or historical
figures. Its extensive and aims to encompass a variety of genres. (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

You can also write out anything custom youd like to display so for a friends birthday, I could write 'Happy Birthday Karalyn', or for a New Years Eve party, I had the Vestaboard display ticker a countdown that ended with it saying 'Happy New Year' and flipping the various flaps to simulate fireworks.

There was even a Santa Tracker though TechRadars own live blog was a bit
more real-time an election tracker, and nearly all major sports leagues are covered here. I also have mine set to display the weather forecast daily at 8am, and its nice to quickly glance at the screen and see if I need an umbrella or not. Again, you dont need to spend $3,500 just for that, but its part of the Vestaboard experience.

One thing to note is that the Vestaboard can't be used to control other smart home gadgets. Its really a display board that can be used for custom messaging, text from widgets, or art created using its colored flaps. Its a high-priced, expensive smart home device thats definitely a lavish expense, but I have no doubt that itll be delightful when it starts to display something fresh. (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

At this price, I truly believe that the longer power cord and a subscription to Plus should be included in the box. I mean, $3,500 is a lot, and depending on your setup, youll need the power cord, and the subscription really lets
you get the most out of the device.

I think thats what makes the smaller Vestaboard Note really exciting, and the fact that the ecosystem is slowly but surely expanding. Similar to spending thousands of dollars on a TV, the Vestaboard falls into the nice-to-have category.

After a few months of testing, the thrill hasnt worn off; Ive just grown more used to it springing to life to update the ticker board. Its easily one of
the most elegant pieces of tech in my apartment, and the one that catches the attention of family and friends every time, without fail. You might also like I tested the wireless Nanoleaf Solar Garden Lights, and they're a fun way to light up your yard all night long 3 cool things you didn't realize your Philips Hue lights could do I've been a tech journalist for over 10 years,
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/home/smart-home/the-vestaboard-smart-display-costs-t wice-as-much-as-my-tv-but-it-works-hard-to-justify-the-price


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